Illinois › Professional, scientific and technical services › 500 to 999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Non-Contributory Retirement Program for Certain Employees of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
Sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Chicago, IL
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
Non-Contributory Retirement Program for Certain Employees of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association of Chicago, Illinois. For the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 it reported 923 participants, 140 of them active, and net assets of $194M.
Net assets came to $210,096 per participant, well above the $86,583 median for defined benefit plans with 500 to 999 participants and above the $176,808 median for defined benefit plans in professional, scientific and technical services. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Schedule C lists 5 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $365K: $395 per participant, close to the same-size median of $377. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $483K. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $149M in 2009 to $194M in 2024 (up 30%), and participants from 1,489 to 923 (down 38%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified).
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $210,096 | $86,583 | $176,808 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | — | $10,758 | $35,855 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $395 | $377 | $450 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.19% | 0.48% | 0.30% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $523 | $591 | $596 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 500 to 999 participants (873 plans), professional, scientific and technical services (277) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 923 | $194M | $210,095 | — | — | $365K |
| 2023 | 965 | $219M | $226,884 | — | — | $372K |
| 2022 | 998 | $216M | $216,315 | — | — | $861K |
| 2021 | 1,056 | $176M | $166,291 | $13.5M | — | $936K |
| 2020 | 1,097 | $173M | $157,533 | $69.0M | — | $518K |
| 2019 | 1,130 | $289M | $255,728 | — | — | $224K |
| 2018 | 1,163 | $245M | $210,668 | $28.0M | — | $288K |
| 2017 | 1,195 | $255M | $213,536 | $5.0M | — | $251K |
| 2016 | 1,229 | $235M | $191,411 | $7.0M | — | $253K |
| 2015 | 1,274 | $223M | $175,236 | $12.5M | — | $378K |
| 2014 | 1,327 | $227M | $171,385 | $4.5M | — | $466K |
| 2013 | 1,351 | $217M | $160,294 | $6.5M | — | $410K |
| 2012 | 1,385 | $201M | $144,804 | $6.5M | — | $424K |
| 2011 | 1,410 | $179M | $127,178 | $16.0M | — | $377K |
| 2010 | 1,451 | $174M | $120,002 | $14.0M | — | $521K |
| 2009 | 1,489 | $149M | $100,065 | $20.0M | — | $301K |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$218,943,444
- Employer contributions—
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$0
- Total income, including investment results−$2,934,910
- Benefits paid$21,607,181
- Administrative expenses$483,152
- Total expenses$22,090,333
- Net income−$25,025,243
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$193,918,201
Participants
- Active participants140
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits304
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits423
- Total participants, end of year923
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer Investment Management | Investment management fees paid directly by plan | $233,515 | $0 |
| Northern Trust Company | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution) | $52,359 | $0 |
| Aon Consulting | Actuarial | $43,685 | $0 |
| Plante & Moran, PLLC | Accounting (including auditing) | $25,070 | $0 |
| L&S Ventures | Consulting (pension) | $10,331 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Investment advisory and management fees$233,515
- Other administrative expenses$97,596
- Trustee and custodial fees$52,360
- Actuarial fees$43,685
- IQPA audit fees$28,785
- Recordkeeping fees$19,408
- Contract administrator fees$3,994
- Legal fees$3,809
- Total administrative expenses$483,152
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- 103-12 investment entities$194M · 100.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmPlante & Moran, PLLC
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $500,000
- Blackout period during the year—
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1ABenefits are primarily pay related1IFrozen plan3FPlan sponsor(s) received services of leased employees3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 541990: All Other Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services.
Other plans of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Tax-Favored Savings Program | 1,864 | $480M |
Similar plans in Illinois
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Companies Multi-Employer Pension Plan | Payroll & Insurance Group, Inc. | 1,102 | $200M | $181,574 |
| Kirkland & Ellis LLP 2011 Retirement Plan | Kirkland & Ellis LLP | 783 | $784M | $1,001,753 |
| The Retirement Income Plan for Employees of Ul LLC | Ul LLC | 1,978 | $262M | $132,316 |
| Sidley Austin LLP Ret Plan for Secretarial Staff | Sidley Austin LLP | 764 | $175M | $228,732 |
| BCOM3 Cash Balance Plan | MMS USA Holdings, Inc. | 2,252 | $135M | $59,731 |
| Sidley Austin LLP Cash Balance Retirement Plan for Partners | Sidley Austin LLP | 691 | $606M | $876,439 |
Defined benefit plans in professional, scientific and technical services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Non-Contributory Retirement Program for Certain Employees of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association?
923 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 140 were active employees, with net assets of $193,918,201. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 500 to 999 participants band, which held 873 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association contribute per participant?
This filing has no Schedule H financial statement, so employer contributions are not reported here.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $364,960 in compensation to service provider organisations, $395 per participant or 0.19% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $377 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $483,152. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Trustee or custodian: Northern Trust Company. The financial statements were audited by Plante & Moran, PLLC. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 29 Sep 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 13-5656874, plan 001, received 29 Sep 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.